Episode 74: Travel advice and mindset from a world traveler, with David T.S. Wood [PODCAST]

Many people have the dream to travel the world, to see the 7 wonders, to experience the diversity and beauty of the cultures of Asian, the Pacific, Africa, and Europe. But it’s often the case that once that dream becomes reality, they become fearful, uptight, and defensive as they enter that other culture. David T.S. Wood recorded this episode in Vietnam and was mindful at the time of how many things travelers need to know about visiting a foreign culture, so he grabbed his recorder and rambled off some very helpful mindsets and ideas for you to consider as you plan your next trip. It’s a valuable episode that you’ll want to hear.

Why are you going to another country in the first place?

If you have a desire to travel the world, you need to start with understanding your real motives. Most people who love to travel are curious, interested in the history and culture of the places they visit. You need to remember those “nobler” desires for your travels when you finally arrive in country. Many tourists become rude, bossy, and unkind when they get to another culture. On this episode, David’s got some great ways to look at your traveling adventures that will help you be a blessing to those you encounter and get more out of your trip.

Everyplace you visit is somebody’s home.

No matter where you travel – Vietnam, South Africa, Ireland, Uzbekistan – you’re going to a place that other people call “home.” In most cases, that means they dearly love the geography, the weather, and the way their culture functions. If you come into their home with a demanding, complaining attitude, you’ll not only be insulting them and their dearly loved homeland, you’ll also be putting yourself in a place where the people of that land will avoid you. Who wants to be around a grump? Latch on to David’s advice in this episode and your next trip can be your best one ever!

Consider the difficulties of the language barriers you encounter.

While David T.S. Wood was visiting Vietnam, he left his cabana to take a walk on the beach and enjoy his hour long exercise routine. He took the outline of his exercise routine with him on a piece of paper. At one point he left the paper on the beach with a small rock on top of it while he took a dip in the ocean. When he came back, one of the custodians of the resort had taken his paper while cleaning up the beach. David’s first instinct as he confronted the man was to be angry, but then he remembered that the man couldn’t read English and therefore had no idea what the paper was. It looked like another scrap of paper to him. Being aware of the language barriers can help you act more kindly to the people you encounter, and enjoy your trip more overall.

Learn to walk in the flow of the cultures you visit for more enjoyment of your trip.

Every culture has its particular way of doing things. Some are more laid back, and as a result, time commitments matter less. Others are more social, so a quiet demeanor could come across as an insult. David’s advice from traveling all over the globe is to take some time to observe, ask questions, and get to know the culture you’re visiting so that you can not only enjoy it more, but also be a greater blessing to the people you meet. An uptight attitude or grim demeanor will not get you very far, and could even make you a target for pickpockets and other criminals. Hear David’s thoughts on enjoying your world travel, on this episode of Crank It Up.

Outline of this great episode

[0:48] David’s introduction to this episode, recorded in Vietnam!

[1:41] The interesting contrasts of Vietnam.

[2:40] A traveling philosophy David wants you to understand.

[6:32] The attitude or mindset that changes everything when you travel.

[12:34 Understanding how you appear to those who live in the culture.

[21:48] Taking care how you respond to locals in various situations.